Sunday, November 22, 2009

My Boxer mix loves loves LOVES to pull me on my Gravity Board. She will pester me for hours nudging her leash to tell me to take her on a skate. When I put on my vans, she goes ape-sh*t, and dances all the way out to the street. She knows when I put on my skate shoes, things are gonna be fun. As can be seen in the video, she puts the leash in her mouth and physically pulls me along (I help out by skating as fast as I can). She will pull the leash until she gets tired of that, then lets go, downshifts, and kicks in the turbo. We have been clocked at 25 mph before in my old neighborhood. So much fun. She only gets to "skate" when I'm home. Unfortunately for her, my pregnant Wife cannot handle the danger.

This used to be a daily occurrence when she was younger. She had so much pent up energy when she was young, I had to burn it out somehow. There were many days i came home to a house full of disaster and destruction due to her pent up energy and abandonment issues. She is all grown up now, and has outgrown these puppy traits, but she still LOVES to run full speed around the neighborhood. I taught her "left turn" and "right turn" when she was young, and she knows "whoah," but she has a hard time hearing that one. I get to steer, watch for on-coming traffic, and generally make sure we don't get killed on the road.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

I love watching my wife carry our Daughter. I always thought it sappy or cheesy when dads gush about their kids, but now I'm starting to get it. This is the opposite of abstract, and the most amazing thing to happen to me in my 29 years of adventure. A piece of me, and a Piece of her makes a new life altogether. It's assisted along for the first 40 weeks (give or take) by the mobile human factory called Mommy to be painfully thrust into the world to become the next potetial Nobel Peace Prize winner, or the next Great American Author, or rock star, sports star, astronaut, etc...

But I digress. My beautiful Wife has a living being inside her I have yet to be introduced to. I talk to her, and everyonce in a while get booted. She's moving. She especially likes moving while I play the guitar next to her, or after I cook an amazing meal. She does a little dance in the morning when Mommy finishes her decaf. She likes to kick things too. She kicked the sonar wand thinga-ma-jig at the last ultra sound. And daddy got a boot to the ear when I was trying to hear her in there. It was awesome!

I try to imagine what she's doing in there all day. Mostly it is the in utero version of sleeping, but i know that has to get bored just growing and stuff, so the rest of the time I imagine her to be practicing her butterfly stroke for the 2028 Olympics, or just getting her dance moves down for American Day Care Idol. Either way, I'm cool with it. Keep Kickin Little girl. We're waiting patiently for you.

I'll be posting pictures soon, but i have some things to take care of first. My lawn looks like a savanna, I need to keep up some Navy Reserve training, my dog misses me, and I need to spend some time with mother ocean and mother to be before I head Back to the Bayou. Have a great weekend.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Pregnancy is an amazing process. The woman's body transforms itself in to a walking, talking, human factory -- completely rerouting every nutrient, calorie, and molecule of her being into the formation of a new life: Nature's Perfect Parasite. I personally find this part to be the most intriguing. All of this transformation happens on a deeper, evolutionary level. Its all involuntary. She doesn't know why its happening, other than the fact she's carrying a baby, its just nature; the same way the human race has been reproducing since the beginning of our sense of time. Amazing.In the same regards, Dads-to-be have been caring for the womenfolk, and getting fat for just about the same time. Its definitely worse now than in caveman times, since we're aren't out with the boys for weeks chasing down woolly mammoths to throw on the grill, or running from sabre-tooth tigers while our ladies are growing the tribe. Men now get caught in the house eat, sleep, complain, repeat cycle along with their ladies. As the mommies put on baby weight, so do the daddies. This sucks. I have managed to put back on the weight i started to lose when i first discovered Crossfit. I work-out when I am on the job, but vacationing has been rough on the slim-down front. I am in full-on sympathy weight mode. The biggest speed bump in a diet, and in my opinion, the reason diets don't usually work for long-term results, is the fact you end being the "weird guy on some weird diet," and are alienating yourself from your friends and loved ones. My wife has a Get-Out-o-Jail-Free card on most things. I don't like it when she goes crazy on the junk food when I'm gone, but its better than her starving our little cinnamon bun. When I'm home, I end up eating when she eats. Even if I don't want to, I always end up eating something. Its also harder to find the time to work out. I can get a run in here and there, i go surfing o skating when i can, but regularity is a thing of the past, and I am making the assumption its not coming back anytime soon when the little one arrives. Either way, i'm getting bigger too. Screw that.

I decided to fight off the vacation-crap-eating-hangover today with a run in my Brother-in-Law's neighborhood today. I haven't ran enough in the past few weeks, and my body is thanking me now. However, running on inclines for the first time since I lived in Ohio combined with the afore mentioned "Daddy Belly" left me gassed and nauseous WAY too early. I had a 2.3 mile route planned, but cut it down to just under 2. I was fighting off pukie after the first hill. This caused me to run an unplanned Fartlek style shuttle run. It definitely wasn't fast, and it wasn't very pretty, but i got off the couch, and got my ass moving again. Now I just need to dial in my diet again, and let the belly fall off. As much as I don't want to, I will have to go on a modified zone diet as soon as we get back.

As a cool down, I got to do a little niece workout using lunges and squats. They didn't know why I was doing it, but they had fun trying it too!

Friday, September 18, 2009

I know I have been in Blog Hibernation as of late, but my life has taken some exciting new turns while not having a computer. I'll do my best to put the past few months together into a coherent synopsis for you.--July: My wife and Unvailed the big secret: WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!! I am so excited and unprepared, I don't know what to do. More of this later.At the same time all this is happening, I start my New Job with VIH Cougar Helicopters as a Rescue Specialist. The plan was to start in September, so I had to withdraw from the last two classes in the way of my B.S. I'm frustrated and excited. The job is a chance of a lifetime. All my US Navy Rescue Swimmer buddies and I hear about these jobs, but never hear about anyone having them. Somehow, i was in the right place and the right time leading to an interview, leading to a job. Stoked. VIH Cougar

The job requirs me to travel, fly in Helicopters, jump out every so often, and really help people. My cup of tea... or, my quad shot of espresso. There are more differences in the Cougar version of Search and Rescue that I am grappling with, but over-all I can't complain. A very good way to make a living. The biggest Suck is being gone from my walking oven baking my little cinnamon bun. I fly out of Galliano, LA an hour south of the Big Easy, DEEP in "Da Bayou". Our contracts are with the major Oil companies in the oil patch, so we fly out to the Oil Rigs in the gulf, mostly. There is more to it than that, but you get the idea. I am on call for a couple of weeks, then I fly home.

--August Big news... Baby Fout! My wife is currently 22 weeks pregnant with our first. I have been reading daddy books to try and prepare me for the biggest adventure of all: Daddyhood. Even with all the lifesaving and flying and globetrotting, rearing a new life will be the most challenging and (hopefully) responsible thing I have ever attempted -- compunded by the fact ITS gonna be a GIRL!!! The Radar Myth Confirmed*. We had our second Ultrasound -- The cool one where they tell you the sex of the baby. I don't have an uploaded picture, but she is definitely a SHE. And for those waiting to ask, yes, we have a name. No, I won't tell you. It is a surprise. Deal.

--September After a surprise schedule change, I ended up with 3 weeks off this month. I go back to Louisiana at the end of the month, so we are taking full advantage of this and visiting family in Ohio and Mississipi. We are still able to travel at this point, and I don't think I will be able to during the holidays since I don't know my schedule yet, and will most likely be working Thanksgiving and Christmas. I hope to be able to work all of January as well to make up for time I will be taking off in February wen the Baby pops out. So we are traveling! We drove up to Ohio first; a drive I have made a bajillion and a half times it seems. Mama is still nervous in the mountains. We had a chance to see My Parents, my little brothers, go to the OSU/ USC football game(!), do a little Kayaking, and see my Grandmothers. It was a very nice trip, and being it has been over a year since I had been up there, a very good chance to go. We also had a chnce to stop at an Amish country store. They make some of the best food on the planet from the freshest ingredients by hand. Just like Great Grandma used to make. Its the only White Bread I don't feel bad eating. A slice of my childhood. (The store is just up the road from the church camp we went to as kids; we would stop every summer.)

We cruised on down south to visit Family in Mississippi. Since travel takes longer with an expectant mother, we decided to stop in NashVegas for the halfway point. I love Nashville. We went down to music row to listen to some good unadulterated country bands and get some grub. It was the first time I ever had a Burger with Hotdog chili sauce on it. It was a surprisingly awesome combo. Plus, when the chili falls off your burger onto your fries you get chili cheese fries. but, I difress. Nashville rules.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

My computer is broken, and I'm in between a new Job, and a new computer. I'll be blogging more regularly in the near future. There are a lot of exciting new developments in my life now, so I will definitely have subject matter.

I will post new pictures of the puppies as well. They are going to be gone to their new homes this weekend!!! I'll sure miss the little bastards, but i won't miss the mess and the trouble. I am confident they are going to good homes, and I will be able to see most of them grow up.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Wow. It's in the triple digits in June. Yikes. I am not going to talk about meteorology, but it's hot. Just so you know.

9. 9 freaking puppies. That is a big litter. I know there are people out there who would chastise me for not getting the bitch spayed, but they don't have to work out of my wallet, and oh well. Now there are 9 fabulous little mutts for my friends to have.

Here are some pictures:

Puppies are fun, but they are a big workload.

All the actual writing I have been saving up is just going to get pushed to later.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Mondays are usually the opposite of bad days for my lovely wife and I. It's generally the day we both have off together, and can sleep in and have a nice breakfast. I was never a big breakfast guy until I started dating her. She's a morning person, and a barrista, so her life has revolved around breakfast for some time now. I m by nature a creature of the night, and had always been a light morning eater... She has since then cemented my caffeine addiction/ appreciation in place, and i now enjoy a good three egg breakfast.

With the stock in our kitchen running low, it gets difficult sometimes to make a gourmet meal for two. With a good grasp on easy dishes, it becomes easy to throw something together in a flash you both can enjoy. Today's breakfast is a variation for us from our normal scrambled eggs and sausage, or our poached eggs and avocado (mostly because i didn't want to stink up the kitchen, and because we didn't have any avocado). Its a simple dish anyone can do at home in 20 minutes that will carry you through the day, and is completely Primal/Paleo/Low carb. I use a cast iron skillet because it transfers perfectly into the oven, and it has a great shape and browns the eggs nicely on the bottom.

Combine the the eggs and cream in a bowl and whisk until blended. In an oven safe skillet, saute the onion in the olive oil and butter until soft. Add the sliced mushrooms, some salt, and the secret ingredient. Saute until Mushrooms are cooked through. Pour the eggs over the delicious fungi and reduce heat to medium. Be sure not to scramble the eggs, but let it sit up on its own. When the eggs are almost cooked all the way through, cover in shredded white cheddar. Place the pan in the middle rack of a 375 degree oven, and bake until the cheese forms a golden crust on top. Remove from the oven and serve in slices. Enjoy with a strong cup of coffee. MMMMMM...

Friday, June 12, 2009

I am health conscious. By conscious, I mean I am aware of my current condition, and not necessarily that I am where I want to be in terms of fitness, bodyfat, etc. I am aware I am not 7% bodyfat, and able to run a 6 minute mile without collapsing. I am aware that the beer I have been consuming the last couple of months has degraded my performance to pre-Crossfit levels. I know that I have not been eating as healthy as I prefer in the last few months. I know I want to change all that again.

There are a million and a half excuses for me not being where I want to be, but I don't need to list them. Life has a way of getting in the way of your goals sometimes, and I tend to lose motivation when not in a regular routine. My life has been out of the routine for various important reasons the last few months, and I am working on getting back into one. I just need a warm-up period instead of jumping ass over face into the deep end without water. If I were to try to jump into crossfit programming again now, I would knowingly injure myself, just as a recovering heroin addict overdoses after a stint in rehab. I would take too much too much. I know this because it is in my Macho type A retarded maleness. I am manging the risk by starting out slow. It Sucks. I want to breath fire, and spit brimstone.

I decided last night to forgo my usual post-flight beer in lieu of a workout. This isn't in a normal pattern, but i am fighting through it. The workout was as follows:

Sorta for time... Meaning: I didn't want to see how much of a fat lazy drunk piece of monkey dung i had become.

POST WORKOUT:Chair Bridge hold for as long as possible -- ended up being almost 2 minutes or so. There again, no timer.

This shit knocked me down, and it was almost a warm-up for where I was 2 months ago. I was disappointed, but it felt good to get my heart beating like a Slipknot drum part again. I have a plan for this evening as well. I need to work in some time for some serious stretching as well. The plan for this evening is STRESS RELIEF. I'm talking some heavy as yo' momma deadlifts! I want to go pick up a Volkswagen!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Welcome to My blog. I will be posting rants, raves, craves, recipes, stories, music reviews, things I detest, things, that i love, musings on the meaning of life, and basically passing on what my brain has to offer unto you my audience.

The inspiration for my writing with this post is actually about the Disney Pixar movie UP. My wife and I decided to go see the 3D version at the local mega-theater complex (which I HATE). I normally cringe when going to movies, but I knew a 3D approach would be fun, and it would put a smile on my lovely lady's face, so we went. We fought the afternoon traffic, we nearly blistered in the Florida afternoon heat, and my blood pressure was probably up quite a bit when we got there. I hate that we have to spend $30 for two people to see a matinee now. It got me thinking about how expensive its going to be to take kids to movies when we have them, and when they are old enough to go. At this rate the price of a family outing to the theatres will be the same price as a car payment in the next decade. How is a young family supposeed to cope with the rising cost of entertainment? Sometimes its enough to ant to go back to a time of whitling wood into musical instruments and telling stories by the fire while your momma sings out of the family hymnal on a Saturday Night. Daddy could be a'pickin on his banjo while Ma tends to the fire.

Peace. Boring Peace.

So on to the Movie. You can go to the official site HERE. I really enjoyed this movie. If you want a great date night for a couple who is serious about one another, or for your wife of 30 years, this is definitely a must see. Its beautiful for children and adults alike. The story is heartbreakingly touching, but its very humorous and comical all the way through. I give it a big stamp of approval.

I don't want to go too far into the story because the first 20 minutes of the film give you the back story and the heart of the story. It all comes down to a Man loving his wife, and his home being a symbol of that love, won't ever give it up for anything. When put under the confrontation of being forced to move into a retirement home so a corporate high-rise can be built over his old house, he fills thousand of balloons with helium, and ties then to his fireplace. He lifts off and floats away on an adventure he had promised his wife they would make one day together, only to find things were more difficult than he thought when a young stow-away goes along for the ride. Add a few talking dogs, a big colorful bird, and a crazy old Bad Guy, and you have a great story. No Spoilers from me!

The thing that got me about the story was the lifelong devotion to his wife. I am recently married, and it made me think about how life pans out. People make big plans, but something always has a way of sneaking in front on the priority list. I have so many places I want go, and so many experiences i haven't had yet, but I can never seem to make the plans fall into place to make it happen. I have been on a few really great adventures throughout my military career, and from traveling on my own, but it never ends, and it will never be enough. I know the responsibility I have to my wife, and the eventual family we will create. It isn't just me in this adventure anymore. I hope I can find a way to bring her, our future children, and whoever else into the mix without screwing up. I just want to do this right.